Thursday Thirteen #I-Don't-Know

My sister and her kids arrive here in less than a month. I am very excited to have some of my family see where I live. I've been thinking of places to show off to the southerners. So here are thirteen suggestions (by no means definite) things to do when the family arrive. Hope I don't sound like a travel brochure.

1. Go to the full moon drum circle on The Strand (beachfront) that will occur.... at full moon (22nd of June). I think Michelle will be here then. I hope so. It's so much fun for people of all ages - it attracts a couple of hundred people each time.
2. Visit my old home - Magnetic Island. The beaches are great; there's wildlife galore, particularly wallabies, koalas and possums (hmmm); and it's just half an hour from the mainland.
3. Visit ReefHQ - an aquarium with a huge coral reef display, and lots of interactive stuff for the kids.
4. Billabong Sanctuary - a big animal park where you can cuddle koalas and snakes and watch the big crocs - and all the usual stuff you do at an animal park.
5. Airlie Beach - gateway to the Whitsundays. A huge man-made lagoon is here, perfect for the kids to swim in (and so much better than the mud flat that is the real beach).
6. Whitehaven Beach - on Whitsunday Island, not far from Airlie Beach. When you picture the Whitsundays (or any tropical Australian beach), you'll picture Whitehaven. Think a couple walking along a beach on a cigarette ad. That's it.
7. Paluma. This is the southernmost part of the wet tropics (rainforest). Nice and cool with waterfalls and crystal clear water (one of the creeks is actually called Crystal Creek).
8. Frosty Mango. On the way to Paluma - an icecreamery with icecreams made from tropical fruits. A MUST.
9. Atherton tablelands. Dairy farming country surrounded by rainforests. Yungaburra has a great Swiss-Australian (??) restaurant. And in Malanda you can look for tree kangaroos.
10. The Strand waterpark. A big free park with now swimming pools. Just lots of sprinklers and water falling from a huge bucket... I can't explain it too well, but lots of fun for kids (big and small).
11. Charters Towers. This is really getting towards the outback. It's mining country and cowboy country. I've only been there a couple of times and am not really sure what there is to do there. The rivers are great to swim in - and because it's inland, there's no crocs (well, no salties at least).
12. Bowen, Dingo Beach area. Lots of sea turtles around here. And not much else to be quite honest. Though lots of mangoes during mango season. Which is in summer. Shame.
13. Relaxing at home while the kids watch a DVD and Michelle and I have a few glasses of wine and some good food.

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